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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23373118">The Four Times You Surprise Spencer and the One Time He Surprises You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kksunflowerbaby/pseuds/kksunflowerbaby'>kksunflowerbaby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Behavioral Analysis Unit (Criminal Minds), Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, POV Spencer Reid, Reader-Insert, Surprises</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:16:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23373118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kksunflowerbaby/pseuds/kksunflowerbaby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer is a genius. But you always surprise him and catch him off guard. He's...surprisingly okay with it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Spencer Reid/Reader, Spencer Reid/You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>259</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Four Times You Surprise Spencer and the One Time He Surprises You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You always knew you would end up at the FBI. You had gone to college for psychology, focused on criminology. With your degree, you had a few options. Your family had urged you to consider the private sectors, but you wanted to help people. When one of your professors had recommended the Behavioral Analysis Unit, you had jumped at the chance. And that’s how you ended up standing in front of your new coworkers. </p>
<p>////<br/><i>The First Time You Surprised Him</i></p>
<p>Spencer Reid had had a difficult morning. He had risen late and felt stressed as he rushed to get to work. Derek had annoyed him when he got to his desk, ruffling his already messy hair. Spencer wanted peace and quiet so that he could delve into his work and let himself get distracted from his sour mood. But Hotch had stood up in front of everyone and announced that the new team member would be coming in today. In ten minutes.</p>
<p>Spencer frowns. So much for burying his nose in some dissertation for an hour. </p>
<p>And he sees you. You are standing next to Hotch, overlooking the desks. You have a nervous smile on your face, but no one blames you for it. Dressed in a simple black jacket and skirt, you look professional and trim. </p>
<p>Morgan, Prentiss, JJ, and Spencer all stood to welcome you. Spencer is at the end of the line because his desk is the furthest from where you stand. </p>
<p>He couldn’t help the hesitation he felt at shaking your hand. Everyone else in the BAU shakes your hand warmly and says a few words. </p>
<p>Before he can think of a good excuse, you are in front of him. Used to the social customs, he is already stepping forward with his hand extended before he could summon the courage to say something. </p>
<p>“Would…would it be alright if I didn’t shake your hand?”</p>
<p>Spencer blinks.</p>
<p>“I saw your hesitation, and there’s the face that it’s actually better to kiss someone than shake hands; less germs, you know?”</p>
<p>Morgan laughs. </p>
<p>Spencer grins, forgetting his bad mood already. </p>
<p>/////</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <i>The Second Time You Surprised Him</i>
</p>
<p>The team had flown out to Los Angeles, California. On the jet ride over, everyone was reminiscing over the first time they had flown out there. You, obviously not being on the team at the time, listen to their tales and laugh along with them. </p>
<p>The case was about a man who lured women back to his apartment where he would torture them for days before disposing of their bodies in a public area. The victimology was all over the place except for one glaringly obvious trait: all the victims had (your hair color) hair. </p>
<p>Spencer had had a sinking feeling when the team had discovered the details of the case. Your hair matched the victims’ hair perfectly. </p>
<p>Two days later, the team was sitting in the conference room of the LAPD. Hotch had just explained his plan, which as Spencer suspected, including you being the bait. You had simply nodded, accepting your face. Spencer had a feeling that you had known all along as well. </p>
<p>Later that night, Spencer had been sent to collect you from your hotel room so that the entire team could leave from the lobby to the bar where the last victim had been. When you had opened your door to greet Spencer, he had been blown away.</p>
<p>Your hair is pinned away from your face, where makeup has been expertly applied. He knew that you weren’t the biggest fan of makeup, but occasionally wear it. Now, when it is in full force, every single one of your features are highlighted to the maximum extent of your beauty. Your black dress is tight, but still left a lot to the imagination. It comes to the middle of your thighs and you wear black heels with thick soles. </p>
<p>“Wow,” Spencer breathes. </p>
<p>“Too much?” You ask, immediately reaching up to your hair, ready to fix it if anything was out of place. </p>
<p>Spencer’s hand shot out and caught your hand in his before you could touch your hair. “No,” he murmurs, “it looks great.”</p>
<p>You shoot him a grin and Spencer forgets that he is supposed to bring you to the lobby. </p>
<p>An hour later, when you were sitting at the bar, sipping your drink of choice, you can’t help but notice Spencer across the bar, sitting at a booth, bouncing his leg. It was uncharacteristic of him. </p>
<p>“Spence, quit it. You look way too stressed, you’re going to stand out,” you murmur into the rim of your glass, knowing the mic would pick up your words and he could hear them. </p>
<p>Spencer looks at you and sends a look your way that can only be translated as <i>Don’t worry about me</i>. </p>
<p>You wiggle your eyebrows at him, and then smile into your drink. Spencer was funny to you. Ever since being on the team, you and him had spent a good amount of time together. You got along very well, to the point that Morgan teased you about it more than he teased Spencer (which is saying a lot). You knew that you felt more affection to Spencer than you did to your other teammates. Due to the nature of your occupation, you didn’t let yourself think about it much more than that. You didn’t have the luxury of wanting to date whoever you wanted. </p>
<p>Little did you know, Spencer had had similar thoughts. But, like you, he kept it to himself. </p>
<p>A man who fit the description of the unsub slipped into the seat next to you and you smiled at him. He started a conversation and you went along with it, despite feeling guilty. </p>
<p>Guilty for what? You were doing your job; taking down a criminal. But Spencer’s face across the bar kept reminding you that wasn’t why. </p>
<p>After chatting for fifteen minutes, the unsub asked if you wanted to “get out of here.”</p>
<p>Nodding, you followed him. It was your job. You carefully kept a neutral expression when you passed Spencer’s table. You had to focus on what matters right now. </p>
<p>When you were a block away from the unsub’s apartment, he slung his arm over your shoulder. You leaned into him, despite the fact you didn’t want to. It didn’t feel right. </p>
<p>“I can’t wait to see how pretty you’ll look in my bed,” he murmurs, and you repress a shiver. </p>
<p>“Do you have…ropes?” Batting your eyelashes, you try to be the image of a seductress. Not exactly your forte. </p>
<p>“Why do you ask?” It sounds like the unsub doesn’t catch on to the true reasoning behind your question. “If you want to know, I have enough that you won’t be able to move for days.”</p>
<p>All of your instincts scream that this was the guy. Immediately, you push yourself away from his body and kick out at him, catching him across the face. He is completely unprepared for this and is on the ground before he can react. You pull your gun from your thigh holster and aim at his forehead. </p>
<p>The team, who had been following, rush out around you and handcuff him. You step away, detaching yourself from the situation, and wait until he’s long gone in the cop car before you feel relaxed. </p>
<p>Spencer notices and sits next to you on the low wall by the building. He doesn’t say anything and neither do you. But it’s nice to have someone next to you that isn’t the unsub. Now that your adrenaline is gone, you can admit to yourself how scared you had been with the unsub. </p>
<p>The team goes back to the hotel and you take a long shower, scrubbing everything off of your skin. </p>
<p>Spencer had been surprised by your beauty when he had first seen you that night. But it doesn’t compared to how surprised he is when you knock on his door an hour later, asking if you can stay. </p>
<p>He knows how scared you had been, he read it on your face when they had apprehended the unsub. He agrees, and he makes sure that you feel safe.</p>
<p>///// </p>
<p>
  <i>The Third Time You Surprise Him</i>
</p>
<p>Weeks later, Spencer still thinks of that night you had shared in the hotel room. There had been a brief argument about who would take the bed and who would take the couch before you had pointed out it was a king-sized bed and there was more than enough room for both of you. </p>
<p>He had awoken before you to realize that both of you had gravitated towards the middle of the bed during the night. Your cheek was resting on his chest and he realized then how deep his feelings went for you, right then and there. </p>
<p>But it wasn’t fair to you. He couldn’t put the burden of his feelings on you; both of you knew what the job was like. People in this line of work didn’t have relationships that lasted. It was too big of a risk. </p>
<p>With a heavy heart, Spencer had untangled his limbs from yours and slipped away, not seeing you again until the breakfast. You had given him a small smile, and then neither of you mentioned it again. </p>
<p>Now, in the team meeting room of all places, Spencer can’t stop thinking about it. He knows his feelings had not changed in the many days it had been since that night. It went against logic and sense. But the affection remained. </p>
<p>Despite never bringing it up between the two of you, nothing had really changed. You both spent the most amount of time together out of everyone in the team. You still got along. </p>
<p>But there are different things to focus on right now. </p>
<p>Hotch was talking about an attack made on a park that had hospitalized several. And killed more. </p>
<p>Anthrax.</p>
<p>It was the only answer, and both Spencer and you had come to the same conclusion, it had to be linked to the man who had voiced concerns about anthrax attacks all those years before. Hotch had nodded and sends the both of you to the house. </p>
<p>Where Spencer consequently exposes himself to the strain. When you hear the door slam, you turn and see his grim expression. </p>
<p>Spencer is surprised to see the tears that well up in your eyes. </p>
<p>But he knows that you surprise him. You never do what he expects and he is intrigued by it. He is surprised by how upset you are. Tears are streaming down your face as you two stare at each other through the door. </p>
<p>With a shaky voice, you call it in to the team. You don’t move from the door, even when Spencer says he has to explore the house to find out the information. He’s already exposed, after all. Might as well be useful. </p>
<p>Morgan gets on the scene next, and understands immediately. He goes to you and brings you to his broad chest, cradling you. </p>
<p>“If he dies…” you cry into his chest. </p>
<p>“Don’t worry, (Name),” Morgan whispers into your hair. “The kid won’t ever leave you, you know that.”</p>
<p>When Spencer wakes up in the hospital bed, you are sitting next to his bed but staring out of the window. With your feet propped up against the sill and your eyes glazed over as you thought, you look to be relaxed. But Spencer knows better. </p>
<p>Your eyes are red and you have circles under your eyes. From the looks of it, you haven’t left his side. </p>
<p>“(Name).”</p>
<p>You turn to look at him and smile weakly. “Good, you’re alive. If you had died, I was going to kill you.”</p>
<p>Spencer laughs harder than he has in a long time. </p>
<p>“You’ve been here since I got here, haven’t you?”</p>
<p>Hours in the hospital worrying about his survival had left you tired and strained. “You’re the genius.”</p>
<p>“Not when it comes to you.”</p>
<p>You raise your eyebrows, urging him to continue. </p>
<p>“You surprise me. I never know what you’re thinking. It’s disconcerting. I’m used to being able to predict what everyone in the room will do or say or think. I’m good at that. But with you…you never do what I expect. You surprise me.”</p>
<p>“You don’t say it like it’s a bad thing.”</p>
<p>“It’s not,” Spencer says, sitting up fully. “(Name), I want you to know…when I was in that house, I had recorded two messages to Garcia. One for my mom, and one for you. I didn’t know…if I was going to make it, and I had things I needed to say.”</p>
<p>Your heart skips a beat. </p>
<p>“Spence,” you murmur, not wanting him to stop talking.</p>
<p>“I was scared I was going to die without telling you how I feel. In that moment, when I knew there was a chance I could…every reason that I told myself to keep from telling you became obsolete. They didn’t matter. They were almost ironic, really, the reason I didn’t tell you because I was worried the job would stop us from being able to have a good relationship but I almost died today. I would rather have a week with you and then die before not being able to tell you.” </p>
<p>During his speech, you had moved closer and now sit on the side of the bed next to him. </p>
<p>Looking back at the memory, neither one of you are sure which one initiated the kiss. </p>
<p>/////</p>
<p>
  <i>The Fourth Time You Surprised Him</i>
</p>
<p>Eight months is not that long of a time. Spencer knows this. But, he still feels like the two of you had been together for the longest time. He can’t imagine his life without you in it and he wouldn’t change that for the world.</p>
<p>The job had not gotten in the way of the love you shared for each other. In fact, it strengthened it. Being able to hold your hand or kiss you after every case and appreciate that you had each other was much better than worrying about hypotheticals like he had been before.</p>
<p>Every chance he gets, he tells you that he loves you. And every time, you smile your thousand-watt smile and tell him that you love him more. </p>
<p>Morgan still claims that he was imperative to Spencer and you getting together. “If I hadn’t told her he would never leave, she might not have gone to see him!” He had said. </p>
<p>The team would laugh and shake their heads while Spencer and you would share a smile. Deep down, you both knew that you still would have been there. And he would have done the same for you. </p>
<p>After a long case, almost two weeks, you two come home and go to your apartment for the night. You would switch off between apartments, but yours happens to be closer to work. Tonight, that is an added bonus. </p>
<p>You shower together and collapse into bed, tired and satisfied and happy to be home. Drifting off to sleep, your bodies gravitate to the same positions that you had the first night you had shared a bed. </p>
<p>In the morning, you offer to make breakfast. Spencer has his nose in a book when you place the plate down in front of him. In true Spencer fashion, he tries to reach down and use the fork next to him to begin his breakfast without looking away from his book. When the fork hits something metallic, he looks away from the tome. </p>
<p>The plate is empty except for a small bronze key. </p>
<p>Spencer recognized it immediately. </p>
<p>“You know, I thought you knew that only Prentiss thinks I’m a robot. Ergo, my diet consists of food, not metal. Funny, though,” he laughs, beginning to push the plate away. </p>
<p>“It’s not a meal; it’s an offer.”</p>
<p>Spencer looks at you in surprise. “Offer?”</p>
<p>“Move in with me.”</p>
<p>“We already spend every night together?” Spencer raises his brows. </p>
<p>“We each have half our closets at each other’s apartment. Why not live together in one place?”</p>
<p>Spencer smiles. “I have bigger bookshelves at my place.”</p>
<p>“I live closer to work.”</p>
<p>“By five minutes.”</p>
<p>“Think about what we could do with five extra minutes in the morning before work.”</p>
<p>Spencer’s pupils dilate and you know that you had him. </p>
<p>“If you say yes, I’ll give a sneak peek—”</p>
<p>But you were cut off by him saying “Yes, of course, <i>yes</i>,” before crashing his lips to yours and half carrying you to the bedroom. </p>
<p>/////</p>
<p>
  <i>The Time He Surprised You</i>
</p>
<p>A year of dating has included many memories. All of them are fondly tucked away in your memory. When you are assigned to dark and disturbing cases, it’s easy to find happiness with Spencer and think of all of the good things in the world when you are next to him. </p>
<p>Hotch always smiles when he sees you and Spencer in some debate over different topics, ranging from molecular orbital theory to why different candles smell better at different times of the year. </p>
<p>Morgan noticed Spencer’s confidence in himself has improved since being with you. He spoke clearly and with authority, and was more sure of himself. Morgan is proud of him. </p>
<p>Garcia beams with happiness every time the two of you even look at each other. She had always thought the two of you would be good together, even before either of you had developed feelings for each other. </p>
<p>Prentiss and JJ had had a running bet over who would make the first move. After the anthrax incident were neither of you could remember who kissed the other first, they changed the bet but didn’t tell anyone. </p>
<p>And JJ was about to win the bet. </p>
<p>It is a normal night when Spencer places a plate in front of you. He had offered to make Indian food and you could never turn down his cooking. With your nose in his most recent paper he was drafting for his alma mater, you didn’t look at the plate before trying to take a bite. </p>
<p>Your fork hit plate and you look up to see Spencer kneeling in front of you, holding a ring. The ring box is on the plate in front of you. </p>
<p>You blink. </p>
<p>“Marry me?”</p>
<p>“Yes, of course, <i>yes</i>!” You launch yourself at him, crying happy tears and kissing him like your life depends on it. </p>
<p>Spencer had known you would say yes. His last thought before pulling you closer is how proud he is that he got to surprise you for once.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I LOVE Spencer Reid. I started rewatching Criminal Minds and had to write about him. Please leave a kudos if you liked it! </p>
<p>Comments help me write faster ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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